She Dared
by I-Write-Upon-My-Whims
Summary: Since whatever I post doesn't really matter anyway, why not genderswap? Genderswapped Daredevil just for the fun of it. Comicverse, as loyal to Stan Lee as possible.


**A/N: Hi! This is my first story written here. I'd usually never think of posting a story like this, but honestly I just recently decided to publish whatever fan fiction I wanted, however stupid or looked down upon in fandom. I mean, it's not like I'm getting paid. Nor do I own it. Still, I do aim to do my best.**

**So, without further ado,**

**My first gender swap.**

* * *

Maddie left school sighing. She honestly doubted she'd really needed to study as hard as she had; her geometry test was being graded on a curve, and no one else cared nearly as much. She'd probably would have gotten an A barely trying.

Around her, people talked about their weekend plans, their dates, the fun they were having. She forged through the crowd, clutching her books to her chest. It wasn't that she had no friends, just that none of her friends were really close. It wasn't like she had much time to socialize with all the studying.

The sun had almost set by the time she'd reached her apartment. Her mom wasn't home. Mrs. Murdock had worked as a dancer at a nightclub in her younger days, but after Maddie had come and her husband died she'd been waiting tables at Denny's. Maddie was usually alone in the apartment.

Although her mother was constantly on her to study, Maddie didn't only care about that. From the old photos she'd seen of her mother and barely-spoken-about father, they'd both been fit. Obviously, her mother had to have cared about her body. She'd nearly made it as an off-Broadway chorus girl, but dreams don't always work out. Still, she had been really exquisite. When her mother wasn't home, Maddie worked to follow her footsteps. She followed an exercise regime she made up herself from a mixture of TV and gym class. It seemed to work, but no one really noticed, so maybe Maddie was fooling herself.

By the time Jackie Murdock returned, Maddie was curled up on the couch with a book. Jackie plopped herself down beside her daughter.

"How'd geometry go?"

"Fine," Maddie grunted. She turned the page.

"What do you think you got?"

"It was graded on a curve," Maddie said. She pulled on a strand of hair. "Definitely an A."

"Good job," Jackie said. "I'm proud of you. You know, Maddie, you're really going somewhere. I'm sure of it."

"So maybe I'm going somewhere," Maddie said. "But until then, I have no friends."

"You have excellent grades," Jackie said. "That's harder to get. When I was your age I had dozens of friends, but not even a single B."

"You don't get it, Mom," Maddie said. "There's no way you could possibly understand."

* * *

Maybe it wasn't so bad to be alive, Maddie thought. She'd made a joke in class and everyone had laughed. And it wasn't a 'Heh, how cute, the nerd thinks she's funny,' laugh. It was a 'Wow, she's actually hilarious!' laugh. People had smiled at her on the way out, and socializing didn't feel so hopeless.

Maddie had gotten the A, as she predicted, and the teacher had asked her to be his aide next year. It would probably mean a lot of busy work, but it would look good on a college transcript, and she definitely needed that. Also, maybe she could make friends with some of the awkward freshmen.

She stacked her books and pushed them into her bag. She sent the librarian, a friendly old woman that embodied every stereotype of what a librarian should look like but acted more like the stereotypical grandmother, a grin as she pushed the library's doors open. Maybe later, she and her mother could have a conversation that didn't involve Maddie's future or Jackie's past. That would be nice. Besides, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky...

Maddie's pleasant reverie was interrupted by a truck coming around the corner, aimed at an old woman crossing the road. It was definitely going above the speed limit, and judging by the cane in the woman's hand, the woman was blind. The old vehicle was so overloaded that some of its cargo was barely strapped on, jiggling and bouncing as the truck raced down the street. The truck bowed no sign of even slowing, let alone stopping. Maddie pushed her hair out of her face. Was no one else going to do anything? No, apparently not.

"Run!" Maddie called to the woman. She didn't go any faster. A prickly, nervous feeling crept along Maddie's neck. She dropped the book bag and ran without really thinking about it. She dashed into the street without hesitating, her legs moving of their own accord. "Run!" She shouted again, pushing the old woman out of the way. She stopped moving once the woman was out of the truck's path, suddenly disoriented. What had she been thinking?

She noticed something fall off of the truck and realized what she'd done. For a split second there was terror, then there was a searing, spreading pain in her face, and then- then there was nothing.

* * *

"Maddie?" Jackie's voice seemed to be swimming in Maddie's ears, the way faces swim into focus when characters in movies wake up after being knocked out. "Maddie, can you hear me?"

_Too loud,_ Maddie wanted to say. _You don't need to be so loud._ A rhythmic beep scraped Maddie's ears. The sound of a million squeaky wheels on polished floors screwed into the center of her head. Too many voices crowded into her head, shoving her own thoughts to the side. She could only hear other people's words, words, words.

Then she was hit by the smell. The sharp scent of cleaning fluid completely blanketed her nose. The heavily veiled scents of blood and vomit made her want to throw up.

And the textures! The bedsheets were soft, but her face hurt, oh it hurt, she forgot everything else from the pain in her face. There was tightly wound gauze over her eyes and it rubbed and it _hurt. _

_Mommy, it hurts. It hurts. My _eyes_ hurt. What's happening? _

Maddie felt herself breathing in, out, in, out, inoutinoutinout, quickly, panicked. She heard the word sedation, loud and close on top of a million other voices. Something pricked her arm and she fell asleep.


End file.
